Poll: Is Clam Hording Too Good?

[Chris_Byler]

I like Cheezeninja's idea of a shatter spell targeted at a province. Items could be affected based on their construction level or something (very low/no chance of destroying an artifact, but cons-2 clams would be quite vulnerable). The spell wouldn't be that destructive if there were only a few items in the province (although if you nail a few of a SC's items right before he goes into battle it could still hurt), but if there were a lot, it could destroy items that add up to many times its own cost.

If you don't want only one path to have this type of countermeasure, there could be several anti-item spells: one that shatters items, one that causes them to burst into flame possibly killing their wielders, one that summons a swarm of thieving magpies that steal magic items (most items stolen are kept by the magpies, but a few may be brought back to the caster), one that horror marks anyone in the province with an item and *greatly* increases the chance of horror attacks on item-holders in that province that turn, etc. Those spells in turn could be blocked by domes, but that adds to the cost (and domes have their own weaknesses depending on the type of dome being used; retaliation domes couldn't prevent the destruction of 50 clams, just kill the mage who did it.)

How effective are ordinary army blasters (Flames from the Sky, Murdering Winter, etc.) against a province full of clamholders? Magical assassinations (Earth Attack etc.)? Hiding under the sea will protect you from some of those spells (maybe a few too many), but not all.

[thejeff]

Province targeted item destruction spell is way too abusable. SCs and Thugs would get trashed. Worst use: target air/water breathing items.

Clams would be the least of it's effects.

[Meglobob]

Well I am against nerfing of clams, I do like the idea of the introduction of anti-clamming spells. So you have a counter strategy to clams.

A global that destroys 10%/per turn of all gem producing items in the world, would stop gem spamming abuse.

You could balance the introduction of such a global by reducing the cost of the gem producing magic items back to what they where in Dom2.

So the gem producing items where useful early on but not a effective long term strategy because there was a counter in the form of a global.

The global would after be relatively cheap, 40-60 gems so could be recast over and over to avoid it being just dispelled too easily.

The clams, blood stones and fever fetishes would still be useful as a mirco-management saving tool. Instead of giving a scout a pile of gems to refill your mages when they use there gems in battle. Just give him a clam or bloodstone or fever fetish to produce them on the way.

[Tichy]

Can we call this thread "On the Nerfing of Clams"?
Please?

[SelfishGene]

Clams should only work underwater. Problem solved!

[Chris_Byler]

thejeff said:
Province targeted item destruction spell is way too abusable. SCs and Thugs would get trashed. Worst use: target air/water breathing items.

Clams would be the least of it's effects.

SCs and Thugs have been getting weakened since Dom I and they *still* dominate. I'd say try this out before concluding that it will be abusive.

Breathing items would indeed be a very nasty use of anti-item spells. But one of the themes of the Dominions series is that anyone can die, except Immortals in friendly dominion. As long as the chance of destroying any particular item isn't too high, I don't think it'd be that bad; the spell(s) would have their costs set to be only truly effective against large clusters of items.

[Kuritza]

Item-destroying global spell is the worst idea I've heard for a long time. Item-destroying combat spell is the second worst idea I've heard.

[sum1lost]

Item-destroying global spell is the best idea I've heard for a long time. Item-destroying combat spell is the second best idea I've heard.

Both of them promise to significantly change up the game if implemented. Ask anyone- what school of magic is most vital. One of the top picks, if not the top pick, is construction. You can't thug/SC without it. Destroying items changes the dynamic of the game significantly, improving the power of battlefield troops and mages.

[Micah]

An army with proper magical support can take down most SCs with little problem. I don't see why anyone would really want to make the 100 gem investment most SCs represent any weaker than they already are. They're great for raiding and killing PD since their strength is in their mobility, but they fold up and die to a significant enemy magic presence as it is. (Earth buffs on the troops, the other elements if they lack resists, mass horror marks or soul slays, disintegrate/drain life, and charm (not optimal due to MR and short range, but a scary prospect for the SC's owner)

[Chris_Byler]

It takes thousands of gold worth of mages to implement any of those (except maybe the earth buffs, which takes thousands of gold *and* resources worth of army + a few hundred gold mage).

Anyway, if item-destroying spells (I wasn't suggesting a combat spell, but a province-targeting ritual attack; a combat item destroyer would be interesting against SoS and a few other item-based strategies, but wouldn't solve the clam problem) had a low chance of affecting any particular item, then one guy with 5 items probably wouldn't be hit at all, or lose at most one of his items. They'd be designed for the province where 20 (or 50!) guys are hanging out with a clam and a lantern each.

I think they would shake the game up in a good way.